Tongue Tacos at La Picardia for Cinco de Mayo

Beef tongue is nothing new to Mexican restaurant owner Pedro Najero. He grew up eating it, along with other delicacies like agave worms and chauplines (grasshoppers) on special occasions.

That is why Lengua (beef tongue) tacos are a regular offering on Najero’s menu at Tacqueria La Picardia on Westchester Avenue in Port Chester.

“I want to have all my dishes to be as close as possible to the dishes I grew up with in Mexico,” Najera said. Najera, 43, grew up in the State of Guerrerro, Mexico and moved to New York City 21 years ago. 

Before opening up shop in Port Chester two years ago, Najera worked in communications and as a television host for the HBO Latino show “Hable Ya” and the Azteca America show “El Takonazo.” He still lives on Manhattan’s Upper West side but travels to Port Chester daily to tend to La Picardia.

After he was laid off from a job at Univision, Najero decided to take a shot at the restaurant business. He partnered up with his nephew, Azael Vargas, 27, to open La Picardia. Vargas is in charge of “food and flavor,” and has years of experience in the business; he worked at Rosa Mexicano, a Mario Battali restaurant and several other Mexican restaurants in the city. Vargas said he learned how to cook Mexican food from his family first and then perfected his culinary skills later in the New York City restaurants.

 “I saw the downtown and people from all over and didn’t see any other Tacqueria like ours here,” Najero said of Port Chester. So on Sept. 16, 2011 they opened up the restaurant and are happy with the first two years of business, he said. Najero says he stands out from the rest because he provides a wide range of tacos, is designed for fast food take-out but has enough space for 50 inside so that it is comfortable to eat in and he has affordable prices, $2 and $2.50 for tacos.

During a quiet spring afternoon, several locals who worked nearby stopped in for some tacos. On a busy night when The Capitol Theatre is sold out, hungry concertgoers stumble in around midnight ready for chips, salsa and tacos. La Picardia closes at 2 a.m. weekends and at 12 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.

About 30 percent of his business comes from The Capitol Theatre crowd, which pulls in people from surrounding towns, he said.

While Najero is happy he pulls customers from nearby Connecticut and Westchester, most importantly, he said proudly, is that many customers return a few times a week. Things are going so well he dreams of opening another place somewhere in the area, he said.

Tacos are his most popular item, especially the Taco Arabe, which is a taco in a flour tortilla, he said. It originated by an Arab man in Mexico who did not know how to make a traditional taco so he made them in the flour tortilla and they became a hit, Najero said. Other dishes of note are the Gringas, which is like a taco, but with a flour tortilla, cheese and pineapple.

And while mostly Mexican natives order the tongue tacos, some non-natives have enjoyed the delicacies as well, Najero said. The tough texture is one noticeable difference but the sauces Vargus uses on the tacos are tasty enough that a naïve eater might not even realize she just ate tongue.

This Cinco de Mayo revelers can try the tongue taco or choose from La Picardia's prix fixe menu:

• Appetizers

Aztec soup, Crispy shrimps in chipotle aioli, Nopal Salad

• Main course

Enchiladas de mole poblano, Pollo al tabique in rajas con crema, Tilapia in coconut rice, spinach and spice mango sauce

• Dessert

Cake of tres leches, Torrejas in cinnamon sauce, Rice pudding 

*Le Picardia is a BYOB establishment. 

Check La Picardia’s website for more information on their offerings.

Tacqueria La Picardia is located at 118 Westchester Avenue and is open seven days a week, Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. They offer free delivery and catering services. Visit taquerialapicardia.com for more information.